Chair



G. F. CLUFF, JR.

CHAIR.

APFLICATION FILED MAR. 15. 1920.

1,364, 181 Patented Jan. 4, 1921.

IN VEN TOR.

Gor FCluff'rfr.

BY Q

TORNEY on l lrlll GEORGE 33'. BLUFF, 33%., OFF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

CHAIR.

Application filed March 15, 1920.

To all 107mmit may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. CLUFF, Jr., a citizen of the United States, residing at 2316 N street, Sacramento, county or" Sacramento, State or" California, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Chairs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference b ing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

his invention relates to chairs and particularly to that type commonly used in theaters, auditoriums, and public gathering places of like character, being intended to show certain features of improvements over the type of chair shown in my Letters Patent No. 1,231,129, dated June 26th, 1917, and lie. 1,291,413, dated January 14th, 1919.

The principal object of the present invention is to so construct the framework of the chairs and coacting mechanism between any two chairs of the type shown in the above mentioned patents, that with the same stock design of chair, any reasonable degree of curvature in the arrangement of a row of chairs may be had without altering in any way the fundamental construction of the chairs to suit different conditions, or they may equally well be placed in a straight line.

By incorporating the improved features in my chairs, a quantity of the same of single standard design may be sold for installation in a theater or elsewhere, without it being necessaryfor the buyer to specify the degree of curvature which some of the rows of cha rs will follow.

Of course it will be evident that a somewhat different construction of chair standard will have to he used for the right and leit hand end or aisle chair since there will naturally be no chairs beyond the ends to coact therewith, and consequently the out side frames must cover, for the sake of neat ness of appea *ance, whatever mechanism ordinarily protrudes therefrom.

A. further object is to provide a means to enable the chairs to be secured to floors havino different degrees of slope.

Another object of the invention is to pro duce a simple and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be esceedingly ellicctive for the purposes for which it is designed.

These objects I accomplish by means of Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. at, rear.

Serial No. 365,739.

such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear in the following specification and lnims.

In the drawings s milar chara ters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views. F1gure 1 is a side elevation of one of my nnproved chairs, with one of the upper frame-plates removed.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view substantially central of the chair.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary perspective plan of the upper part of the fl lHl-ES of two ad jacent chairs, showing a chair-arm hanger,

adjustably mounted relative to the frames.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on a line 4-4 of Fig. 1, showing the seat and arm rz ised.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the adjustable chairarm 1itt-pins Fig. 6 is a fragmentary front view of a rear chair standard leg, showing the construction to permit vertical adjustment.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings, the numeral 1 represents chair standards prefen ably channel shaped in cross section of pressed steel; having front legs 2 fixed to the floor and rear legs 3 terminating short thereof, in which rear legs slide the eXten sions 4:, said extensions being fixed to the floor. The extensions are held to the legs 8 and adjustable therewith in a vertical direction by means of bolts 5 fixed to the exten sions and slidable in vertical slots 6 in the legs 8. By this means, the vertical positioning of a chair may be adjusted for varying slopes of floor.

One of such standards is between each seat, anc so forms a common support for the adjacent ends of any two seats. ll plate 7 is fixed on top of each standard and pro jects over the sides thereof, on which plate is mounted a pair of spaced and vertical seat frames 8.

These frames are both adjustable on the plate 7 for angular movement in the transverse plane of the chair-rows.

A rod 9 extends between each pair of rear lower leg-extensions, the ends being threaded, and having lock nuts 9 at each end on both sides of each wall of the leg member, so that the distance between t e standards, particularly at the rear, may be altered for a purpose as will appear; and serve as a brace,

and also as a foot rest for the person in the chair behind.

Between corresponding frames 8 on adjacent seat standards, extend rods 10 and 11, rigidly secured to the frames to hold the same in permanent spaced relation, by means of locknuts 12.

The upper and lower ends of adjacent frames have horizontal flanges 13 and 13 respectively projecting toward each other, there being a plate 1 1 over these upper flanges and the space therebetween, being adj ustably secured thereto by means of bolts 15 passing through transverse slots 16 in the flanges, the nuts of said bolts being under the flanges. This plate therefore serves as a binder to hold the upper ends of the frames firmly together, but allows the frames to be adjusted relative thereto. This same method of adjustment is carried out at the lower ends of the frames, where they rest on the-plates 7 by adjustment of the bolts 15 It will thus be evident from the above described construction, that any pair of seat standards may be so angled relative to each other that a row of chairs will substantially follow a circle of large radius, such as is When so adjusting the standards the bolts 15 and 15* in the plates 1 1 and 7 are merely loosened so as to allow relative freedom of movement, and then tightened up when the adjusting is completed. In this manner, nothing of rigidity in any unit row of chairs is sacrificed 011 account of the adjustable features. 7

The construction and operation of the coacting seat and arm mechanism of the chair is substantially the same as that described in Patent No. 1291, 113, previously referred to, but certain changes have been made therein to adapt the same to the adjustable feature of the chairs now incorporated therein and to simplify the construction. 1 will therefore describe the said mechanism, when the changes made will be seen.

The seat frame 17 preferably a hollow metal structure, is pivotally mounted on a shaft 18 extending between and secured to a"pair of corresponding frames 8, and projecting therethrough. There is of course an individual shaft for each seat frame, which preferably has ball bearing mounting on the shaft, as shown at 19.

The back of the seat frame is provided with a hollow member 20 running across the width thereof and filled with lead 21 or some similar material through a plug 20 to act as a counterbalance.

By removing this plug, the amount of the when the seat is in horizontal position-by the rod 10 against which the frame then abuts, and when in a vertical or ralsed position, by the rod 11. Thus these rods serve not only as tie-rods but as limiting stops for the seats.

Rubber or felt bumpers 22 are mounted at each end of the frame 17 on top and bottom of the same, in alinement with said rods, so that the rods will abut against the bumpers instead of the frame direct, and so deaden the sound of contact.

Upholstery 23 of any standard quality may be made separately from the seat frame and attached at any time.

On the under side of said frame is a plate 24". having a wire hat rack 25 of the usual form, secured to the back of the plate beyond the frame-shaft 18, so that the weight of a hat placed in the rack will aid the counterbalance in raising th seat instead of being a detriment. This plate also ismade separately from the frame, and may be secured thereto by any desired means.

An upholstered back 26 is also provided for the width of each seat, being secured to the corresponding side frames.

On. each end of each seat-frame shaft 18 is pivoted a guide-arm 27, so that between each adjacent pair of frames 8 there is a pair of such arms. The inner ends of these arm are pivoted on stub pins 28 threaded into a common sleeve 29, and which project through the frames 8 through slots 30 therein radial from shaft 18. The pins 28 are ad justable in the sleeve and are held in any set position by locknuts 31. Small rollers 32 on the inner ends of the arms 2'? and mounted in the transverse plane thereof bear against the sides of the frames.

The ends of the pins 28 which project through the slots are adapted to be engaged by lugs 83 on each seat frame.

The pins are adjustable in the sleeve, that when any adjacent; pair of frames 8 are separated by the adjusting of a row of chairs to follow a certain curvature, as hereinbefore. described, they may still project through the frames tic necessary distance to properly engage the lugs Integral with the sleeve 25) and central thereof is a bar 34 projecting upwardly to a pivotal connection with the inner end of an arm 35 which is pivoted to a boss 36 fixed to the plate 1 1 and depending therefrom between the frames 8. The outer end of said arm is upholstered as at 37, and forms the usual arm rest, there being one of such arms between each pair of seats.

It will therefore be seen that when any chair is lowered, the lugs 33 thereon bear against the corresponding pins and force the arms 35 upwardly lowering a pair of seat arms for that seat. The raising of that seat of course frees the lugs from contact with the pins, and the arms are raised, being counterbalanced as in the previously mentioned patents.

If however adjacent seats are still down and occupied, the raising of the one will not effect the position of the side-arms, since the lugs on the adjacent seats are still enthe controlling pins.

in an aisle seat, the slot 30 in the outer frame 8 is covered as shown at 258, and this frame may be nonadjustable on its standard.

Back plates 39 are secured to the frames of each chair, and extend down to the adjustable leg extensions overlapping somewhat between adjacent frames to allow of the adjustment thereof without opening apart.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the object of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described m invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a chair for theaters and the like, a pair of end standards, a foot at the front of each standard adapted to rest on the floor, the back of the standards being spaced from the floor, and feet adjustably mounted on the back for vertical movement, whereby the chairs may be suitably secured to the floor irrespective of the slope thereof.

2. In combination with a plurality of folding chairs, each having a pair of spaced and rigidly connected frames, there being a common arm between each two adjacent chairs, said arm being adapted to be raised when the seats are vacated and lowered when either seat is occupied, a common floormounted standard for each adjacent pair of frames, and means whereby the frames may be angled relative to each other and. to the standard in a vertical plane.

In combination with a plurality of folding chairs, each having a pair of spaced and rigidly connected frames, there being a common arm between each two adjacent chairs, said arm being adapted to be raised when the seats are vacated and lowered when either seat is occupied, a plate on the upper horizontal edge of adjacent frames adjustably secured tiereto to permit of angling of the chairs, and an arm projecting down ardly from the plate and to which the common chair arm is pivoted, whereby the central position of the armrelative to adj acent chairs may be maintained irrespective of the angled relative position of the latter.

f. In combination with a plurality of folding chairs, each having a pair of spaced and rigidly connected frames, there being a common arm between each two adjacent chairs, said arm being adapted to be raised when the seats are vacated and lowered when either seat is occupied, pins operatively connected to said arm and projecting through slots provided in the frames, and lugs on the seats adapted to engage the pins.

5. In combination with a plurality of folding chairs, each having a pair of spaced and rigidly connected frames, there being a common arm between each two adjacent chairs, said arm being adapted to be raised when the seats are vacated and lowered when either seat is occupied, means for adjusting the frames so that the chairs may be arranged. in circular formation, pins operatively connected to the chair arm positioned between adjacent frames and projecting through slots therein, and adapted to be engaged by the seats, and means for allowing the pins to project through the frames a predetermined distance irrespective of the spaced set-ting of adjacent frames relative to each other. 6. In combination with a plurality of folding chairs, each having a pair of spaced and rigidly connected frames, there being a common arm between each two adjacent chairs, said arm being adapted to be raised when the seats are vacated and lowered when either seat is occupied, pins operathrely connected to said arm projecting through slots provided in the frames and adapted to be engaged by the seats, and means for adjusting the pins lengthwise relative to a row of chairs.

In testimony whereof I my signature.

GEORGE F. CLUFF, J11. 

